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enDe Boer: Liverpool, Spurs are clubs I could manageAjax boss Frank de Boer has told FourFourTwo he would be open to managing Liverpool or Tottenham Hotspur one day, having previously been courted by the pair.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/de-boer-liverpool-spurs-are-clubs-i-could-manage
The Dutch legend, who won five Eredivisie titles with Ajax as a player before guiding the Amsterdam giants to four league crowns as a manager, also lifted the Champions League trophy with his current club in 1995.
The 44-year-old's impressive credentials, plus penchant for a passing style of football, has seen him repeatedly linked with a move to the Premier League.
De Boer was tipped to become Liverpool boss back in 2012 ahead of Brendan Rodgers, and his name resurfaced in north London last summer as Spurs chairman Daniel Levy sought a successor for Tim Sherwood.
Neither move materialised, with the 112-cap Netherlands defender recently agreeing to remain at Ajax for another season despite talk of him becoming the next Newcastle United manager.
Speaking exclusively in the April 2015 issue of FourFourTwo, De Boer reveals he would have taken the Tottenham job had it been offered to him.
"Together with Mauricio Pochettino I was the biggest candidate, and if they had chosen me, I would've done it," he says in a One-on-One interview. "I believe you have to take risks, and have the conviction that you'll succeed.
"If I get an offer from a club in the future, I will consider the possibility and then follow my feeling. I look at whether it's a club where I think I can present myself well and where I'll be able to act in the way I like. Before, there was potential interest from Monaco as well, but it wasn't something I was looking for at that moment. Liverpool and Spurs are clubs I could manage.
"At the time [in 2012], I felt I wasn't ready for a move abroad. I had just started at Ajax, and I was not finished here at all. Liverpool approached me in the same way Tottenham did this year, wanting to hold exploratory talks first."
Read the full One-on-One interview with Frank de Boer in the April 2015 issue of FourFourTwo, availablein printandon iPadfrom Wednesday March 3, which also features exclusive interviews with Lionel Messi, Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez, reveals the findings from our Players' Poll of 123 current professionals and asks whether the away goals rule should be scrapped.
news_articleTue, 03 Mar 2015 14:07:00 +0000Gregg Davies354310 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comFrom frustrator to difference maker: how crafty Coutinho finally got it rightThe Brazilian has dazzled since the turn of the year for Liverpool, after two years of working towards making it happen consistently.Alex Hessevaluates his ascent...Alex Hesshttp://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/frustrator-difference-maker-how-crafty-coutinho-finally-got-it-right
There are a great many benefits that the digital age has bestowed on the modern-day football fan – rafts of information, endless coverage, numerous platforms for discussion – but an imbued sense of patience is probably not one of them.
If clubs at the top level are often chastised for their short-termism, the charge can also be levelled at a generation of fans. Too often, we demand immediate rewards when there are none to be had.
It’s something to bear in mind when appreciating the magnificent recent form of Philippe Coutinho, who has spent the opening months of 2015 transforming himself from maddening midfielder to dependable difference maker. Sunday's blistering long-ranger against Manchester City was his second in as many weeks.
Coutinho, who could run the length of a beach without leaving a footprint, has long promised much but only partly delivered. But now the patience is beginning to pay off.
Until his recent heroics, the youngster had earned himself a reputation for being too wasteful. It has generally been a valid criticism, but one rarely followed up with the equally valid caveat that he was young and still learning. It's easy to forget, given that he's played nearly 200 games across four countries and two continents, that Coutinho is only 22. And that even in this modern age of under-15 YouTube sensations and 30-goal-a-season Football Manager wonderkids, a 22-year-old footballer is still in his formative years.
To put that in context, when Roberto Baggio was the same age, he had made roughly 100 appearances in a first-team shirt, half of them in Italy's third tier. Pavel Nedved had just six senior goals to his name. Thierry Henry was a middling bit-parter at Juventus.
Coutinho, meanwhile, has tasted regular action for two of Europe’s most high-profile clubs, played a half-season in a third major European league and spent a couple more years as a fawned-over teenage prodigy in his homeland. Now he finallyappears to be reaping the benefits of a settled employer.
Sharp shooter at last
If there has been a single key ingredient to his recent progress, then it’s the obvious one: Coutinho has finally started scoring. Time and again at Liverpool, his lack of goals – 10 in two years before last month – has been deemed inadequate for someone donning his No.10 shirt, and displaying his obvious talent.
Indeed, Coutinho’s baffling inability to shoot had become a running joke among Anfield regulars. If there was no better player at wriggling into a half-yard of space on the edge of the box, then there were surely few worse at striking the ball cleanly. For such a capable technician, it seemed absurd that his shooting was less David Beckham than Diana Ross.
Fortunately, it wasn’t just the fans who were getting exasperated: as Kopites were busy writing off e-numbers and full-fat milk for the New Year, Coutinho made a resolution of his own. “There are always so many things to improve,” he admitted on January 29. “I’ve been working on improving my goal tally as I understand this as being part of my role. I expect to do better on this. Whenever possible, I have post-training sessions to work on improving my shooting accuracy.”
As any Shania Twain fan will tell you, talking the talk is the easy part. But since uttering those words, Coutinho has gone on to score three goals in seven games. Since the turn of the year, his shots-to-goals ratio has more than halved, from one in 11 hitting the net to exactly one in five. The sample size may only be small, but so far his actions prove his words were anything but empty.
Such a straightforward route to betterment might well demand the question: if that was all it needed, then what on earth took him so long? But that would be missing the point. This is what happens with young players: they identify flaws, they practise, they improve.
Besides, goals from midfield are no easy thing and often arrive in the manner of water tumbling through floodgates. Frank Lampard, believe it or not, never managed double figures in league season until his ninth attempt, while Steven Gerrard was a one-in-nine player until he upped his rate notably at the start of the 2004/05 season, aged 24. He’s since scored 155 in 462.
As well as goals, Coutinho’s more general inconsistency has long frustrated. When he moved to Merseyside at the start of of 2013, the Brazilian hit the ground at breakneck speed and spent the season’s latter months dazzling Premier League defences with stepovers, feints and threaded passes. Such productivity has since resurfaced for spells – not least right now – but it’s also been punctuated by periods when such incision has proved elusive.
Again, such inconsistency can be ascribed to Coutinho’s youth. But there’s another misconception at work, too. In many ways, to demand consistency from a pure playmaker of his ilk is to misunderstand the very essence of the position. It is the precise remit of such players to always be attempting the most difficult moves, in the least amount of space, under the most pressure.
Because their game relies on the whirring cogs around them, No.10s also tend only to play well when their team is on form. Reporting on the 2002 World Cup Final, The Guardian's David Lacey described Brazil's two great creators, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho, as “isolated” and “cut off from their source”. It is the playmaker's occupational hazard: ability will not automatically equate to effectiveness.
Brendan's boy
But this isn't to say that Coutinho's shimmering recent form has been at all arbitrary. Brendan Rodgers was roundly snickered at last weekend when he explained how the Brazilian’s rabbit-from-a-hat wondergoal at St Mary’s was the direct result of his own new-look tactics, thank you very much.
But while it might indeed be a bit rich to praise a tweaking of the midfield diamond for one of your attackers walloping one in the top corner from 30 yards, Rodgers’ broader point was perhaps a valid one: Coutinho’s upsurge in form has directly coincided with his team’s tactical reshuffle.
While his own role as a roving central creator – nominally playing from the left – has remained largely unchanged during Liverpool’s move to a 3-4-3, the key difference is that he has been flanked by a wing-back on his outside. With an extra body steaming down each touchline, Liverpool's pitch has broadened a tad, and for Coutinho, this translates to having that little bit of extra room with which to cut inside.
And the Brazilian is a master at precisely that move – specialising in his ability to create another yard almost by not playing the pass, instead waiting an extra second for the space to open up.
Which all brings us back to patience. It is rare that a top-level player arrives in the job looking the part straight away. Not every forward can march off the bench against Arsenal aged 16, stick one in the top corner and never look back. Far more often, the path to excellence passes through thickets of inconsistency and imperfection.
Coutinho's current form is proof that it's a path worth trekking. It's hard to name a Premier League player who has outperformed the Brazilian since the turn of the year, and he boasts a genuine range of raw materials with which to realise his clear potential. Most creators have technique but lack tenacity. Coutinho, though, combines the dexterity of Miss Marple with the doggedness of Philip Marlowe: he has averaged more tackles this season than Angel Di Maria and David Silva combined.
Quite where the boundaries to Coutinho’s achievements lie is uncertain, but on recent evidence he is capable of hitting some truly stratospheric heights. The key is to let him get there in his own time.
Liverpool vs Burnley LIVE ANALYSIS with Stats ZoneDOWNLOAD NOWiOS•Android
featureTue, 03 Mar 2015 12:51:18 +0000Joe Brewin354264 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comIn the mag: Messi, Bale, Rodriguez, Suarez, De Boer! Plus the Players Poll!Exclusive sit-downs with some of the world footballs hottest prospects, plus 123 professionals revealing all in our in-depth questionnaire.Availablein printandon iPadfrom March 3...http://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/mag-messi-bale-rodriguez-suarez-de-boer-plus-players-poll
It's that time again, folks– and the latest issue of FFT is a corker.
Three of La Liga's biggest stars, Lionel Messi, Gareth Bale and James Rodriguez, sat down to reveal all about their frantic lives off the pitch.
Little Leo spills on dealing with the pressure of being the world's best player (arguably, OK?); Real rival Bale reveals an 'average' day in Madrid; the people who know Luis Suarez best (family, agent and friend) offer the true side of Barcelona's headline-grabbing star, and we look back at the rise of Golden Boot winner James with the man himself. Pick your favourite cover off the shelves, and off you go.
But if you want to find out what footballersreallythink of the game, look no further than our comprehensive Players' Poll of 123 professionals. We quizzed them on everything from booze to betting, via refereeing and racism, to discover the game's overriding attitudes from within. Would they respect female managers? Are they financially secure for life? And who's their favourite pundit?
Meanwhile, how does a club break down social barriers and boost its support at the same time? FFT hit south London and Soho with semi-pro pioneers Dulwich Hamlet to find out.
For this month's Action Replay, we revisit the 1974 FIFA presidential election that saw England sidelined and the game go truly global. Joao Havelange's usurping of Sir Stanley Rous ignited a new era of pound pinching, power hunger and prickly politics...
Next up, FFT's reflections from Africa – and the stuff you might have missed.Having been given the tournament just two months before the opening game, Equatorial Guinea's hosting of AFCON 2015 was never likely to pass without incident. Our man on the ground was there for every madcap moment, featuring bats, hotel nightmares and the cab-driving organiser...
Plus, should the away goals rule be scrapped? Fergie thinks so– and he's not alone. With trips abroad now less taxing and teams going on the defensive, we ask whether the idea still works.
This month's One-on-One takes us on a career reflection with Ajax boss Frank de Boer, the legendary Dutchman of Champions League-winning and ex-Barcelona fame. What's it like playing for Louis van Gaal? Why did Holland fail so miserably at Euro 96? And why isn't he managing Spurs or Liverpool?
In Upfront, we've got former Celtic striker Harald Brattbakk on his current life in the sky, Bruce Grobbelaar reminiscing,and the football-mad folk who tied the knot with their real first love in tow.
Planet Football features an interview with Zenit's €40 million man Axel Witsel, a chat with the defender who's spent six seasons on loan with the same club, Belgian football's WAG awards and the ultimate battle to find world football's greatest mascot.
Charlie Austin recalls his rise from builder to top-flight sharpshooter in Performance, West Ham's Stewart Downing offers a masterclass in causing danger across the frontline, and nutritionist Matt Lovell gives FFT's homemade treats the thumbs up. Mmm.
The April 2015 issue of FourFourTwo is available from Wednesday March 3in printand in aspecially-designed-for-iPad version.Subscribe nowand receive future issues through your letterbox.
featureTue, 03 Mar 2015 10:45:00 +0000Joe Brewin353745 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comRodgers: Sturridge edging closer to his bestDaniel Sturridge will light up Liverpools top-four bid once he regains his full fitness, according to manager Brendan Rodgers.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/sturridge-edging-closer-his-best-rodgers
Liverpool have monitored Sturridge's minutes since the England international made a goalscoring return from calf and ankle injuries at the end of January.
Sturridge played 105 minutes in Liverpool's penalty shoot-out defeat to Besiktas in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday, while the 25-year-old was a 75th-minute substitute as the Merseyside club beat Manchester City 2-1 three days later.
While Sturridge has come in and out of the starting line-up, Rodgers has issued a warning to Liverpool's Premier League rivals as his team looks to qualify for next season's UEFA Champions League.
"Daniel is not fully fit yet and it is difficult for him because these are not training games for him to get fit," Rodgers said.
"He's excited by the new system. Put a fully fit Daniel Sturridge into that system and it lights it up again.
"Come the end of this week Daniel [will] be on a great run and able to play every game and be able to train.
"He wasn't quite ready for the Premier League so then we were trying to fit him in games.
"The Europa League was a great chance to get some game time into him, but after five months out and with his history here that was something we had to think of.
"The last thing we wanted to do was break him. He felt good on Sunday on the back of playing Thursday. He's very determined to play and when you see a fully fit Daniel, he will be brilliant."
news_articleTue, 03 Mar 2015 04:20:33 +0000354088 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comDyche hails Ings determinationBurnley manager Sean Dyche has no concerns about Danny Ings running out at Anfield to face Liverpool on Wednesday.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/dyche-hails-ings-determination-ahead-liverpool-showdown
The striker has been heavily linked with a switch to the Merseysiders come the end of the season - when his Burnley deal expires.
But Dyche will have no qualms with introducing Ings,who has five goals in his last eight Premier League games,to the fray.
"His determination has been there for all to see," Dyche said.
"He's had one quiet one and other than that he's been fantastic.
"I'm sure his determination will be to do his best for Burnley, no matter who it's against.
"He'll do that and the rest will take care of itself."
Dyche also reserved praise for Ashley Barnes, who played 90 minutes against Swansea after a tough week which saw him targeted for criticism by Chelsea and their manager Jose Mourinho after his part in Nemanja Matic's dismissal the previous week.
"I think there's a respect element from fans, certainly here," Dyche added.
"We have a good connection with the fans, they have a group, manager, staff, players who are giving everything, he's one of any player who plays here that they have great respect for."
news_articleMon, 02 Mar 2015 19:55:28 +0000353911 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comLiverpool announce first profit for seven yearsLiverpool returned to profit for the first time in seven years in the last financial year, new figureshave revealed.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/liverpool-back-black
A statement released bythe Premier League club on Tuesday confirmed they posted a "small profit" in the year ending May 31 2014 - a stark contrast to a loss of around £50 millionreported 12 months previously -while their revenue increased by 19 per cent to £255.6m.
This upturn in revenue has been primarily attributed to the rise in income from the Premier League's lucrative TV rights deal, with Liverpool moving back up to ninth from 12th in the Deloitte Football Money League.
"Since Fenway Sports Group completed its takeover of Liverpool FC in October 2010, revenue has steadily increased year on year and the club has transformed to a sustainable business," Liverpool's statement added.
Liverpool chief executive Ian Ayre commented: "We continue to make good financial progress. Although these results are nearly 12 months old, they demonstrate that the transitional period we've been through over the past four years have stabilised the club and provided a platform for growth.
"Revenue has been consistently increasing from around £170 million in 2009 to over £250 million today and our commercial revenues continue to add strength to our overall results.
"During these past transitional years, it was important that we took a measured approach to bring back financial stability by ensuring the club is properly structured both on and off the pitch.
"We continue to add strength and depth to our playing squad while continuing to develop young talent."
news_articleMon, 02 Mar 2015 18:01:50 +0000353867 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comName that goal! Famous strikes from recent history, as seen by Stats ZoneGet involved using our re-launched award-winning appStats Zone available now on iOS and Android...http://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/name-goal-famous-strikes-recent-history-seen-stats-zone
slideshow_featureMon, 02 Mar 2015 15:30:00 +0000James Maw343195 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comPremier League Preview: Liverpool v BurnleyBrendan Rodgers Liverpool host Burnley in the Premier League on Wednesday, and the Northern Irishman has been full of praise for Sean Dyches side.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/liverpool-v-burnley-rodgers-full-respect-visitors
Burnley have struggled upon their return to the top flight, winning just four of 27 matches as they occupy a place in the bottom three.
Only one of those victories has come away from Turf Moor - a 2-1 win at Stoke City in November - although Dyche's men surprised many with their exploits at title chasers Chelsea and Manchester City.
Burnley came from two down to rescue a 2-2 draw at City in late December, before Ben Mee's header earned a 1-1 draw at Stamford Bridge the weekend before last.
"We know they are a good side, we had a very close result over Christmas [when Liverpool won 1-0 at Turf Moor],"Rodgers said.
"Every game is super competitive and every team has got quality. We are going into every game respecting the opponent but believing we can win.
"Burnley have given everything for the cause. Sean will be up there among the candidates for manager of the year."
Liverpool have been strongly linked with a move forBurnley's top scorer Danny Ings, who is out of contract at the end of the season, but Rodgers was coy in his responseto questions about the England Under-21 international.
"I rate Burnley as a team and their manager," he added."Sean is very talented. They have gone away from home in big games andgot good results."
Liverpool come into the game in a rich vein of form, boasting an 11-match unbeaten run in the Premier League and having beaten champions City 2-1 on Sunday.
By contrast, Burnley were beaten 1-0 at home by Swansea City on Saturday, and have taken just two points from their last six top-flight outings.
However, striker Sam Vokesis taking heart from their results away from home against some of the division's strongest teams.
"Of course it'sa tough one and they're a top side," Vokes told the club's official website."But we've nothing to fear and we've shown what we're about all season.
"We've gone to Man City, Newcastle and Chelsea and picked up points, so we need to take confidence from those sort of results and take it into that game."
Liverpool have beendealt a blow with the news that Jordon Ibe will be out for upto four weeks with a knee injury, while Steven Gerrard (hamstring), Mamadou Sakho (hip),Glen Johnson (illness), Lucas Leiva (groin) and Brad Jones (thigh) are all doubtful.
For Burnley, Dean Marney and Kevin Long (both knee) remain long-term absentees, and Matt Taylor's Achilles problem means he is unlikely to feature.
news_articleMon, 02 Mar 2015 15:15:47 +0000353776 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comRodgers heaps praise on Reds midfielder AllenJoe Allen earned the praise of Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers after his performance in Sundays 2-1 win over Manchester City.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/rodgers-heaps-praise-allen
The stunning goals of Jordan Henderson and Philippe Coutinho grabbed most of the headlines in the aftermath of a pulsating game at Anfield, but Rodgers was quick to hail their midfieldcolleague.
Allen, whom Rodgers brought with him to Anfield fromSwansea City in 2012, has struggled to hold down a regular first-team place, but a recent injury to Steven Gerrard has seen him afforded an extended run in the side.
"Joe Allen is a very underrated player," Rodgers said in a press conference on Monday.
"He was one of the first players I wanted to bring to Liverpool.
"Joe was incredible versus City. He had so much courage to get on the ball.
"He allows other players to receive the ball.£15 million for Joe Allen was great value for us."
Sunday's victory saw Liverpool move up to fifth in the Premier League table, just two points behind fourth-place Manchester United and three adrift of Arsenal in third.
"It's tight [in the race for fop four]," Rodgers added. "Arriving in there has always been our objective. We want to keep chasing right to the end.
"We had to stay strong during a tough moment. We've found the solutions and we're playing at a high level.
"The mental and physical energy we put into the [City] game after such a long trip [to Besiktas]was unbelievable. Now we're focused on the next game."
news_articleMon, 02 Mar 2015 14:40:30 +0000353753 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comIbe set to miss a month with knee injuryJordon Ibe looks set to spend March on the sidelinesafter picking up a knee ligament injury.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/ibe-set-miss-month-knee-injury
The 19-year-old has been in impressive form for Liverpool in the last month,putting in a string of good performances in the right wing-back role after returning from a loan spell at Derby County.
However, Ibe was forced off against Besiktas in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday, and subsequently missed Sunday's 2-1 Premier League win over Manchester City.
"Jordon Ibe will be out for a few weeks," Brendan Rodgers said. "He'll be back towards end of March."
Rodgers delivered more positive news on Steven Gerrard's hamstring problem, adding the Liverpool skipper is "coming along very well" in his rehabilitation.
news_articleMon, 02 Mar 2015 14:23:06 +0000353737 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comClassy Coutinho steals the show: how new Stats Zone saw Liverpool 2-1 Man CityThe Reds all-actionAnfieldvictory analysed using the brand new version of award-winning analysis tool Stats Zone now available for iOS and Android devices...Joe Brewinhttp://www.fourfourtwo.com/features/classy-coutinho-steals-show-how-new-stats-zone-saw-liverpool-2-1-man-city
"Relentless" was Brendan Rodgers' summary of Liverpool's Anfield victory over Manchester City. And credit where it's due, the Reds' chief wasn't wrong.
Sore heads after a potential Europa League hangover were nowhere to be found as the hosts scurried and harassed their way to a deserved 2-1 victory over the champions, who also suffered in midweek at the hands of Barcelona in the Champions League.
Liverpool had endured a gruelling 120 minutes against Besiktas a day later, however, before losing on penalties in Turkey to crash out at the last 32 stage.
"We got back at half four in the early hours of Friday morning, and by the time the players got to bed it was probably about six o'clock," Rodgers weptjubilantly at the final whistle. "To restrict them to one shot on target, I thought the players were incredible today so they deserve all the praise that they get for the performance and the result."
As such, Rodgers made four changes to his starting XI, with Lazar Markovic, Jordan Henderson, Adam Lallana and Philippe Coutinho replacing Kolo Toure, Jordon Ibe, Daniel Sturridge and Mario Balotelli. For City there were also four changes: Yaya Toure returned after suspension, and was joined by Eliaquim Mangala, Aleksandar Kolarov and Fernandinho.
FACTSWhich season-long City run did Liverpool end?
1) ...but City had the same issues
Against Barcelona, Pellegrini's 4-4-2 was heavily criticised. The Spanish side's middle men had a field day finding holes in City's lacklustre midfield which couldn't cope with the speed and precision of Barca's passing. While their trip to Anfield wasn't quite as traumatic, the visitors' engine room – this time featuring the talismanic Toure and more energetic Fernandinho over Fernando– encountered the same problems.
When Liverpool countered, which they did with regularity, Coutinho and Raheem Sterling were able to find the holes again with ease. Joe Allen, terrific in possession, and midfield partner Henderson, who pressed magnificently, both helped free up the aforementioned duo for such attacks. In contrast, Toure in particular endured a poor second half in which he almost gifted substitute Sturridge a simple third for Liverpool. Centre-backs Mangala and Vincent Kompany, meanwhile, were both at fault at big moments of the game.
Simply, City need more support in the midfield when they play against sides with the capability to outgun them. They've paid the price for a lack of it twice in a week.
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2) Coutinho stole the show
Not satisfied with his show-stopping effort at Southampton last weekend, the 22-year-old Brazilian repeated his feats of last season by sinking City with a glorious 20-yarder. Yet even before that the ex-Inter playmaker was man of the match; the hub of every Liverpool attack and chief menace for Rodgers' side.
The champions couldn't deal with his direct running on the counter (see green stars for successful take-ons), one such burst helping to produce Henderson's opening goal.
His glorious winner confirmed the youngster's status as the Merseysiders' driving force, and prompted boss Rodgers to talk up his burgeoning reputation.
"He cost £8.5 million," said the Reds boss. "It is frightening to know what he could be worth. He is a joy to work with and a joy to watch. He is a kid who has so much ahead of him in the game. He is 22 years of age. People forget he came to us at 19. He is a sensational footballer."
Certainly, his 2015 is getting better by the week.
3) Liverpool's pressing was magnificent
Pre-match, Sky Sports pundit and former Liverpool stopper Jamie Carragher called for his old side to make a good start. Do that, he said, and they would have a good chance of upsetting City early on.
Carragher needn't have worried. Rodgers' men were straight out of the traps, harrying and winning the ball back brilliantly in City's half to force their surprised opponents into frequent errors.
At the forefront was Henderson, but also impressive were Coutinho and Allen in wrenching back possession for the hosts. They kept it up for the second half too– a textbook display of high-pressing football.
4) Rodgers needs Sturridge back
Sturridge not starting wasn't hugely surprising– pre-match, Rodgers had warning against 'breaking' him after five months on the sidelines– but this was a game tailored for the England striker.
With false nine Adam Lallana the beneficiary of one excellent chance a quicker striker perhaps would have buried, and another his returning team-mate may have shown more nous to avoid standing offside for, it was hard not to imagine Sturridge thriving off the service of the industrious worker bees behind him.
He did squander a glorious opportunity after a woeful Toure ball towards the end, but you sense the good times of a new era on the Liverpool frontline could soon be returning.
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5) Raheem Sterling: assist king?
The numbers suggest that Liverpool's prized possession notched his sixth and seventh assists of the season– indeed, more than his previous three seasons combined– but reality tells us that the 20-year-old barely had to lift a finger to put his name to them.
Stats are a wonderful thing (*cough*Stats Zone is brilliant *cough*), but they shouldn't misrepresent what was possibly one of Sterling's more difficult displays of recent weeks.
One humbling of Mangala aside, not much the England man tried came off and as such he was comfortably overshadowed by Coutinho, whose final ball and decision making were superior to his team-mate's.
Sterling's work-rate was excellent, however, and he was more valuable to his team than the struggling Markovic, but on this occasion his two assists weren't quite indicative of a creative genius. Even if he is stronger than Kompany.
Analyse Liverpool 2-1 Man City yourself with Stats Zone
featureMon, 02 Mar 2015 14:20:00 +0000Joe Brewin353165 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comLiverpools Allen hails next level CoutinhoPhilippe Coutinho earned lavish praise from team-mate Joe Allen after his superb winning goal for Liverpool against Manchester City.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/allen-hails-next-level-coutinho
The Brazilian curled in a stunning effortfrom outside the area at Anfield on Sunday to seal a 2-1 victory for Brendan Rodgers'side.
Coutinho also netted the winner in the corresponding fixture last season, and his latest strike added to further recent wonder-goals against Bolton Wanderers and Southampton.
"He's so good,"Allen told the Liverpool Echo.
"With his performances recently, Philippe has taken things to the next level. The Brazilian team is obviously full of talent but he has to be really pushing for that.
"Working with him day in, day out, he shows his quality every time he trains and plays and he scored a superb winner to get us the three points.
"He's skilful and very versatile. He can play in different positions and teams are struggling to deal with him.
"Why has he started scoring? I think it's confidence. That's a huge thing in football.
"The ability has always been there. Technically, he's right up there.
"I think some people forget how young he is at times. He's a young player getting better all the time.
"He's showing that goals are part of his game. He was always on this path.
"Those of us who work with him on a daily basis, we always knew he was going to kick on and reach this kind of level."
news_articleMon, 02 Mar 2015 08:34:39 +0000353566 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comRodgers: Coutinho is coming of age at AnfieldPhilippe Coutinho is coming of age at Liverpool and is primed to get even better, according to manager Brendan Rodgers.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/coutinho-coming-age-anfield-rodgers
The Brazil midfielder put the seal on his latest eye-catching performance by netting a superb winner as Liverpool beat Premier League champions Manchester City 2-1 at Anfield on Sunday.
Coutinho has netted three times in his last seven games to leave Rodgers relishing what the future has in store for the 22-year-old, who joined the Merseyside club in January 2013 and signed a new long-term deal earlier this month.
Rodgers beamed: "I think his performances, in particular since he signed his contract, he's started scoring goals. He's a joy to watch, he's a kid who has got so much ahead him in the game.
"He's 22, people forget he came into us at 19, he's still developing and adapting to a new country.[He is a] sensational footballer and now he's starting to add the goals to that quality."
Coutinho had a hand in Jordan Henderson's opener, highlighting in the eyes of Rodgers his impact on the team as a whole.
"He's a very selfless player and a humble guy," added the Liverpool boss.
"He'll always creates for others. We just encourage him, he's done more work on the training ground in terms of his finishing, he's got a wonderful body movement around the box, and you see recently he's starting to work that space really well.
"His technique is at a real high level.
"He's now arriving into the areas, then able to pull the trigger and get shots off.
"I think he is a star in the Premier League already, but I think there's still improvements he can make. I think he's a young player that's developed, he's got the trust of his team-mates and is playing at aclub that adores him.
"He loves it here, and is playing for a team that wants to play a technical game.
"He's an absolute pleasure and joy to work with."
news_articleSun, 01 Mar 2015 16:58:37 +0000353173 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comRodgers tips hat to relentless LiverpoolBrendan Rodgers hailed the performance of hisplayers after Liverpoolput their midweek disappointment behind them to beat Manchester City 2-1 in the Premier League.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/rodgers-tips-hat-relentless-liverpool
Defeat to Besiktas in the UEFA Europa League on Thursday meant Rodgers' squad were not back in England until early on Friday, limiting their preparation time for Sunday's Premier League clash.
But tiredness did not impact the hosts asstunning strikes from Jordan Henderson and Philippe Coutinho lit up Anfield on Sunday.
"I have to take my hat off to my players," Rodgers told Sky Sports. "To get back at half four in the early hours of Friday morning - by the time they got to bed it was six, and they had to sleep all of Friday.
"We then did some light work yesterday, but to come out and play like they did, they were relentless.
"They restricted a top team to just one shot on target and deserve all the praise they will get.
"The character of this team was questioned at the beginning of this season, but we were just trying to find a rhythm and balance to the team, with little time and lots of new players. It hasn't just happened; they have worked hard, and believed in how they were working."
Victory keeps Liverpool firmly in the hunt for a top-four finish, with their unbeaten league run now standing at 11 games, but Rodgers is not getting carried away ahead of Wednesday's visit of Burnley.
"We just need to concentrate on Burnley now," he added. "Since November our points and performance levels have been very good.
"I believe if we get into the top four it will be a better achievement than doing it last season, but we have got to keep our focus and concentration."
news_articleSun, 01 Mar 2015 15:06:36 +0000353113 at http://www.fourfourtwo.comPellegrini: Man City facing uphill challengeManuel Pellegrini acknowledged Manchester City face an uphill challenge to retain their Premier League title this season after Sundaysdefeat to Liverpool.http://www.fourfourtwo.com/news/city-facing-uphill-challenge-retain-title-pellegrini
A tight match at Anfield saw both sides create promising openings to take all three points, but it was Liverpool who found the quality in the final third to win 2-1.
Goals from Jordan Henderson and Philippe Coutinho either side of Edin Dzeko's 50th Premier League strike won it for the hosts, leaving City five points behind leaders Chelsea having played a game more.
"It is three points less with one game less," he told Sky Sports. "Of course it is difficult to reach the top of table if you lose three points.
"But we must keep going and try to return to our normal performance and see where it takes us."
The Chilean cited mistakes in possession as the main factor in City's downfall, something they need to address if they are to catch Jose Mourinho's side.
"It was a close game but Liverpool won because they scored two beautiful goals," he added. "But in the first half we lost too many balls, especially in the first 15 minutes.
"After that we equalised and then hit the post through Aguero. But in the second half we didn't arrive in their box so we tried to change our style of play.
"I'm concerned that we are losing the ball too much - pressure is a factor. There is much we must analyse to improve."
news_articleSun, 01 Mar 2015 14:50:10 +0000353098 at http://www.fourfourtwo.com